Jongen met een deken om zich heen geslagen en een hoofd van een kind c. 1922 - 1925

Editor: This is "Jongen met een deken om zich heen geslagen en een hoofd van een kind" which roughly translates to "Boy with a blanket around him and a head of a child," a drawing in ink and pencil by Otto Verhagen, created sometime between 1922 and 1925. There's something really vulnerable about it, like the artist is capturing a fleeting moment of childhood fragility. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see in this sketch Verhagen grappling with notions of innocence and societal vulnerability, especially potent themes during the interwar period. Consider the social upheavals of that time: how do you think widespread poverty, loss, and disillusionment shaped perceptions of childhood, and how might that be reflected here? Editor: I hadn't thought about it in that context, but that makes sense. The child looks so small and unprotected, almost lost in the oversized blanket. Could this also be seen as a commentary on the safety, or lack thereof, provided to children during such turbulent times? Curator: Precisely. The loose, expressive lines evoke a sense of unease, suggesting a world where traditional structures of support have crumbled. Verhagen uses the child's figure as a vessel to hold broader anxieties about the future and the security of the next generation. What if the "blanket" is the failing protection from war for a generation? Editor: So it’s not just a simple portrait; it’s a reflection on the anxieties of a specific historical moment. Curator: Absolutely. And by focusing on the vulnerable child, Verhagen amplifies those anxieties, inviting viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about their society. Editor: I definitely see that now. Looking at the work again, I feel a greater sense of the social commentary within this drawing. Curator: And that's the beauty of engaging with art in context, isn't it? It reveals the powerful dialogues art can have with the world around it.